The former Peoria Rivermen franchise in the AHL will play in Utica, N.Y., as expected, according to a Vancouver Sun report.

The AHL has approved the move.

The NHL's Canucks bought the Rivermen from the St. Louis Blues in March and wanted to relocate the team to Abbotsford, B.C.

But the Calgary Flames already had an AHL farm club operating in Abbotsford, and declined to exit and leave behind a deal there that includes an annual subsidy from the city to cover operating deficits.

Vancouver was stranded, and did negotiate briefly with the Peoria Civic Center, but sources say the NHL team wanted a $1 million locker room renovation and a front office staff supplied to operate the AHL team for it.

The Canucks were unable to meet the AHL's May 13 deadline, by which NHL teams had to declare if or where they intended to locate their AHL farm teams for the coming season. The AHL granted Vancouver a 30-day extension, the deadline for which arrived Thursday.

NHL and AHL sources have said for several weeks that Vancouver wanted a deal from Utica similar to what Calgary was getting at Abbotsford. Sources say Utica has acquired $2.5 million to $5 million in state grants to renovate the 54-year-old Utica Memorial Auditorium, which seats only 3,800 for hockey and is reportedly not up to AHL standards.

The Utica market has not had an AHL team since the Devils operated there in 1993. The city has seen 8 pro franchises fail since 1981, and no pro team there has ever produced more than 2,800 per game in attendance.

A news conference has been scheduled for noon eastern time on Friday.

The Blues, after divesting themselves of their farm team, entered a three-year deal to serve as parent club for the AHL's Chicago Wolves.

Peoria regrouped with an expansion team in the Southern Professional Hockey League, which will be called the Rivermen and begin play in the fall.

RIVER READINGS: Former AHL All-Star and Rivermen star center T.J. Hensick has officiall signed with MODO of the Swedish Elite League.

Dave Eminian covers the Rivermen for the Journal Star. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.